1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for arraying parts on respective trays therefor, and more particularly is directed to an apparatus of the described type that can be associated with a conveyor by which empty trays are supplied to the apparatus and trays with parts arrayed thereon are taken away.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In automatically assembling parts, for example, by means of robots, it is necessary that the parts to be assembled be arrayed in predetermined patterns and directions, for example, on trays, so that the robots can easily grasp and otherwise act on the parts to be assembled. In existing apparatus for arraying parts, there is usually provided a part feeder and a supply device receiving successive parts from the part feeder and arraying the same in a predetermined manner, for example, on a tray. In such conventional arraying apparatus, only one kind of part can be arrayed, that is, the part feeder has to be replaced when parts of a different type are to be arrayed. Further, in the supply device of the known apparatus, exchanging of the tray, that is, removal of a tray on which parts have been arrayed and its replacement by an empty tray, return of superfluous parts to the receptacle therefor in the part feeder, and modification of the pattern or other conditions to be met by the arrayed parts must all be manually performed.